A Taste of India

A Taste of India by Madhur Jaffrey, the acclaimed actress, food writer, and authority on Indian cooking, is a landmark exploration of the extraordinary regional diversity of Indian cuisine. First published in 1985, the book takes readers on a culinary journey through 16 of India’s major culinary regions, beginning with Jaffrey’s hometown of Delhi and demonstrating how geography, history, religion, and local traditions have shaped distinctly different food cultures across the country.

More than a traditional recipe collection, A Taste of India combines regional dishes with personal reminiscences, cultural history, vivid anecdotes, and on-location photography, giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and traditions behind the food. Recipes range from Kashmiri specialties and celebratory dishes to western Indian lentil-and-rice cakes, revealing a breadth of Indian cooking that extends far beyond the dishes most familiar outside the country.

Rich in both recipes and culinary storytelling, A Taste of India is especially valuable for Indian food enthusiasts, culinary-history readers, adventurous home cooks, and cookbook collectors interested in understanding India’s many regional cuisines rather than treating Indian cooking as a single tradition.